The present invention is in the field of flat panel video type displays that have color capability. The present color capable flat panel video display may be altered and also used as a black and white display if the interdigital surface electrodes are individually connected to the outputs of each detector in a column of infrared detectors in an infrared viewing device without having additional light amplification. Prior art flat panel displays required additional electronics to enhance the incoming video signal.
Presently known flat panel displays require active electronics at every picture element (PIXEL) site. An example of this is discussed in an article by M. N. Ernstoff of Hughes Aircraft Company, entitled "Liquid Crystal Pictorial Display," 1975 presented at SID Technical Meeting at Culver City, California on Nov. 6, 1975. Other flat panel displays depend on non-linear or thresholding phenomenon, such as an electroluminescent cross grid panel. An example of this phenomenon is discussed in an article entitled, "Computer Compatible Electroluminescent Techniques for the Achievement of Wide Angle Visual Displays," by W. Merel and H. Barkan in IEEE Inter. Conv. Record, 1963.
The present display does not require non-linear thresholding nor electronics at every PIXEL site.